The Conqueror [Mass Market Paperback]

Judith E. French (Author)

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

Princess and heir of the twin kingdoms of Bactria and Sogdiana, Roxanne can ride like a prince and finds her life taking a different path than she had planned when Alexander the Great conquers her homeland and takes her as his wife. Through endless campaigns, he accumulates vast territories and drives his army deep into India, while his relationship with Roxanne threatens his inner circle. French depicts life in the fourth century B.C.E. with a great deal of gritty detail and presents a particularly vivid picture of ancient Persia. The political machinations and broad sweep of history are the novel's focus, while Roxanne and Alexander's obsessions with their own lives as rulers, and with each other, are obviously doomed. Although this is not a romance in the happily-ever-after school, those who read historical romantic fiction because they love to learn about the past will find much to enjoy here. Diana Tixier Herald
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 355 pages
• Publisher: Love Spell (December 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0505525712
• ISBN-13: 978-0505525710
• Product Dimensions: 6.6 x 4 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (17 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,325,548 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

12 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars This "Mary Sue" is not for fans of historical accuracy!!, April 30, 2004

By 

K. Forster (Alberta, Canada) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Conqueror (Mass Market Paperback)

"Mary Sue": a story in which the author (usually a female) puts too much of her own wishes/daydreams and physical attributes (or wannabe attributes) into a tale, allowing herself to become the heroine that "saves" the hero and--of course--wins his love in the end.

And a "Mary Sue" is exactly how to describe this book! It had me rolling my eyes so often I thought they were going to spin right out of my head! Much of the plot was laughable, with Roxanne needing rescuing far too many times, and Alexander's near obsessive attraction to her was simply unbelievable. Without revealing any spoilers, I will say that the author clearly projected herself into her Xena-like heroine, and stretched all plausibility by not only making her a fair-skinned redhead (like herself), but by also giving her far too much importance in Alexander's life, putting her front and center into very significant events where the real Roxanne probably played no role. (Of course, in all fairness, without this inflated role we would have a rather boring Roxanne-related book.) More often than not her Alexander wasn't a terribly likeable character, and I only found myself reading it to the end just to find out how many times the author would change known historical facts just to suit her plot. This is not a book I would place on an Alexander 'must-read' list, except for *really* die-hard romance fans, as the author did follow the usual schlock romance formula.

And Alexander was a blonde, so what's with the brunette on the cover?? Just one more historical inaccuracy that had me shaking my head!

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Good read, August 31, 2005

By 

MAD4ROMBKS "Mad" (North Carolina) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Conqueror (Mass Market Paperback)

I don't know how I'd classify this book. There were things I liked about it, but then again, there were things that just annoyed me about it.

When I saw the cover on this book my first thought was "gorgeous". But I found myself looking at the cover again and again as I read the story. As much as I like the picture of Cherif Fortin on the cover, it was completely wrong for the book since the hero, Alexander, was described as being a blond. One of my huge pet peeves...why can't the cover match the characters?

Another thing that bothered me was the constant bickering and planning the heroine did. Sure, she didn't want to be married to the hero, wanted to marry a cousin of hers but that didn't stop her from turning to putty each time the hero touched her. And always, right after they did, she would tell him she never wanted him to touch her and she hated him. Why do they do that? That's another pet peeve of mine...the love/hate relationship and the constant fighting.

At times the heroine acted like a spoiled little girl and I kept thinking the hero could probably find someone else much better than her. For me, Alexander made the book for me, even if the cover was all wrong. *G*.

Mad

8 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Conqueror by Judith French, December 14, 2003

By 

Suzanne Coleburn (Berlin, MD USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Conqueror (Mass Market Paperback)

Setting: Persian Empire, 4th Century B.C.

This novel about the alliance between Alexander the Great and Princess Roxanne of Persia is filled with colorful descriptions of opulent court life, the beauty of the area, the perils of war, and Alexander's military genius and his relentless passion for building his empire by conquering the world. At the heart of the novel is the sensual love affair that weaves a brilliant tapestry of history, love and adventure that keeps the reader enthralled from beginning to end. This is the kind of book you can't put down.

Ms. French paints a glorious picture of the times that brings history to life as she delves into the relationship between Alexander and Roxanne, Alexander's famous companions, Roxanne's family and followers and the treachery therein. Plots against Roxanne's life are numerous. After a while you will think the woman has nine lives. I loved the ending. There is no doubt in my mind that Judith French is one hell of a storyteller. THE CONQUEOR is a story that flows effortlessly and is highly entertaining as well as informative.

Suzanne Coleburn, Reader To Reader Reviews